Haryana Cong leader denied pre-arrest bail in a case involving his anti-RSS tweet

Haryana Congress leader Pankaj Punia was on Tuesday denied anticipatory bail in a case involving an anti-RSS tweet by him, allegedly affecting communal harmony and hurting religious sentiments.

Special Judge Mohammad Gazali rejected Punia’s pre-arrest bail plea saying that the offences alleged against him were serious.

An FIR was registered against Punia at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow for his alleged objectionable tweet against the RSS.

Punia was booked under IPC sections related to promoting enmity between different groups (153 A), outraging religious feelings (295 A), public mischief (505-2) and section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.

Punia had pleaded that for his alleged objectionable statement, as many as six FIRs were lodged at different places in the country and he got the anticipatory bail in all other cases.

Accordingly, he should be granted bail in the case lodged at the Hazratganj police station of Lucknow as well, he had pleaded in his petition.

The court, however, rejected his plea.

In his tweet in Hindi, Punia had targeted the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh and had the RSS amid the controversy over plying of buses by the Congress for ferrying migrants during the early phase of Covid-19 lockdown.